Chapter 1270: Shaking Singularity
The mural's colors were faded and dim, making the Nine Stars Red Pearl stand out all the more. They looked like a host of eyes, all staring at Li Fan with an unsettling intensity.
The moment the thought crossed his mind, he felt it—a palpable sense that the myriad red pearls in the mural had sprung to life. A peculiar aura began to emanate from them.
It was neither righteous nor malevolent, an energy that was both ancient and weathered, yet felt as pristine as a newborn life. What truly shook Li Fan was that this mere illusion, a simple image on a wall, was causing a part of his divine soul avatar to be drawn out, absorbed, and assimilated.
He tried various methods to resist the pull, but none worked. Only by deploying his Source Power Essence could he finally sever the connection and shield himself from the influence of the Nine Stars Red Pearl.
"What in the world *is* this Nine Stars Red Pearl?"
"If a mere painting can do this," he mused, "the real pearls would be unstoppable. I doubt even a shield of Source Power Essence would be enough."
Hmm...
Li Fan ran a series of deductions, calculating the potential consequences of being fully absorbed by the red pearl.
"It wouldn't cause any direct, physical harm," he concluded, "but it would leave a unique imprint on the soul—and even the very life source—of every creature it touched. And that was just the pearls themselves."
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, studying the utterly bizarre apparatus.
"Indeterminate variables... infinite possibilities."
"The Nine Stars Red Pearl... for imprinting."
This apparatus was, after all, a component of the Xuanhuang world-protecting array.
Its purpose couldn't deviate too far from the grand design's central theme.
Li Fan simplified the ring device in his mind, treating it as a single, unknown unit within the larger system. He then fed this variable into the model of the world-protecting array, a model already calibrated with real data by his Final Dissociation Disc.
After tens of thousands of iterative deductions, Li Fan finally pinpointed the most probable function of the nine-star ring device.
"The creation of myriad life-forms..." A strange light glinted in his eyes.
According to his calculations, this hub of the primordial Xuanhuang array used the nine star-pearls to stamp a unique brand on every newborn creature in the realm. Then, using the rings of indeterminate variables, it would fine-tune that brand within the creature's life essence.
This process was what generated their differing temperaments, talents, and so on.
"This..."
"What an utterly profound formation!"
Even after witnessing the Mysterious Origin Primal Spirit Grand Array—an immortal-grade formation capable of re-establishing the elements of earth, fire, water, and wind to remake the world—Li Fan was still struck with genuine awe as he grasped the principles of the array before him.
After all, this was the first time he had ever encountered a formation powerful enough to manipulate the very fabric of[Life]itself.
"To achieve this, even with the aid of the variable rings and the Nine Stars Red Pearl... it's still an incredible feat," he murmured.
"From another perspective, the original version of this array in the Immortal Realm must have been even more powerful. It's likely that without the support of immortal spiritual energy, certain key nodes failed, forcing them to use these strange objects as substitutes."
"But now..."
Li Fan’s gaze focused once more on the empty space where the Nine Stars Red Pearl should have been.
"The pearls are the key."
"Based on my earlier findings, the pearls were likely recalled by the [Return] Character. But if that happened after the great calamity in the Immortal Realm, they would have had nowhere to return *to*. They should have reappeared in the Xuanhuang Realm. It must have been during that return journey that someone forcibly seized them."
"To go to such lengths suggests the mastermind behind this couldn't use the [Return] Character directly. Like me, they had to leverage its power indirectly..."
The [Return] Character was different from True Immortal Scripts like [Chaos] or [Hunger]. Its power manifested in a completely distinct way, and it couldn't be wielded in a degraded form through crude imitation. It was as if some unseen force in the universe actively prevented it; with Li Fan’s current cultivation, he wasn't even qualified to write it, let alone copy it.
"The rules of the immortals are strict indeed," Li Fan mused. "Even after all these years, with the Immortal Realm in ruins, their laws remain."
Having understood the principles at play, Li Fan became even more curious about the pearls’ current whereabouts.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Nine Stars Red Pearl has likely existed since the birth of the Xuanhuang Realm. Every native creature has been forcibly branded by it. In other words... it's highly probable that the pearls contain a stored record of the unique life-trait data for every living being in the Xuanhuang Realm's history..."
The deduction seemed incredible at first, but considering everything he had learned about the primordial world-protecting array, it was the most logical conclusion.
"Now *this* is the true power of immortals," he breathed, "unfathomable. A divine right that belongs to creator gods."
"With all that information recorded, it means that if the energy and technical requirements were met, one could recreate any historical figure from the Xuanhuang Realm's past without issue."
"Of course," he considered, "a being created this way would be little more than a clone. A person's ultimate achievements are still inextricably linked to their own unique experiences."
"But..."
His mood suddenly grew heavy.
The realization that a life like his, in the hands of a True Immortal, was something that could be created, altered, and replicated at will... even with the supreme treasure of [Truth] in his possession, an unsettling feeling began to creep over him.
"*I treat the beings of Xuanhuang as my playthings,*" he thought with a grim irony. "*And so a True Immortal must see me.*"
Li Fan let out a self-deprecating laugh.
Of course, this was merely a fleeting thought, an exclamation born from the profound shock to his psyche. It wasn't what he truly believed.
His thoughts settled, returning to his previous line of reasoning.
"The Xuanhuang Realm has the Creation Stone Slab, which records every event that has ever occurred."
"Once you create an identical individual, you can use the slab's records to perfectly replicate every experience they ever had."
"The same initial being, the same life experiences..."
"The final[Life]created... would be completely identical."
The final answer of his deduction plunged Li Fan into a deep silence.
The discoveries in the Salvation Sect's ruins were undeniable proof: ever since its creation in antiquity, the Xuanhuang Realm had been under constant, strict surveillance.
And now, it was clear it was more than just surveillance.
The entire realm was more like a colossal laboratory.
And the nature of the experiment was enough to make one's blood run cold.
"If my speculation is correct, was the Immortal Realm's goal to cultivate a single, unique cultivator?"
"And once that target was achieved, they could use the meticulously recorded data to mass-produce countless copies of that existence."
The faces of countless cultivators who had left their mark on the history of the Xuanhuang Realm flashed before Li Fan’s eyes.
Xuanyuan Hong, Su Bai, Xu Ke...
Even He Zhenghao, Xiao Fan, and Zhang Haobo.
All these[People]could be created anew.
Without their unique, one-of-a-kind nature, could a[Person]still be called a[Person]?
Even with [Truth] allowing him to reset to any anchor point, in Li Fan's mind, the people he interacted with each possessed their own distinct identity.
He Zhenghao was He Zhenghao.
The Xuantian King was the Xuantian King, and Mr. Bai was Mr. Bai.
Even if they were just NPCs, they were named, distinct NPCs who were different every time.
But now...
The world as Li Fan knew it had suddenly changed.
Behind every NPC, there could be countless duplicates.
He didn't need to press the [Truth] button; these beings could swap themselves out. Even if they were destroyed ten thousand times, as long as the original data wasn't lost, they could be recreated again and again.
The single-player world where he thought he was the only player...
...had suddenly become a massively multiplayer online game, played by countless others.
The thought filled Li Fan with an irrepressible nausea.
The more he thought, the more the world seemed to spin.
Everything in the world dissolved into a swirl of twisting, multicolored lines, accompanied by the whispers of some unknown, malevolent god that slowly eroded his will.
Even with the support of the Xuanhuang Heart Refining Mantra, he couldn't maintain the stability of his Dao heart.
His divine soul avatar trembled violently, beginning to disintegrate like roots dissolving in water.
"Retch... Retch..."
His form grew illusory, yet he could only double over and heave like a helpless mortal.
The sudden change left Sun Luyao completely stunned.
He had no idea why this mysterious and immensely powerful senior, lost in thought one moment, would suddenly be reduced to such a state.
"Ugh..."
Li Fan's retching grew more violent.
He wasn't vomiting any physical filth, but his own essence—his spirit, his energy, his very being.
"Senior..."
The sight filled Sun Luyao with a terror that welled up from the depths of his heart.
It felt as if something truly dreadful was about to happen.
"Ugh..."
Li Fan’s gasps slowly subsided.
"Heh... heh..."
They turned into a soft cough, which then twisted into a low, slightly crazed chuckle.
And with that sinister laughter came Li Fan's quiet muttering.
"Senior... what are you saying?"
Sun Luyao’s hair stood on end. He couldn't help but ask.
"Hehehe..."
"Hehehehe..."
"Hehehehehehe..."
"And that's why I say, it's a good thing you're all dead!"
"Everyone is dead, and only I remain. That is the most perfect state of affairs."
Like the whispers of a demon from the deepest abyss, Li Fan’s muttering was accompanied by his divine sense locking onto Sun Luyao.
Even if the words seemed nonsensical to Sun Luyao, they sent a profound, bone-deep chill through him.
He was about to say something more, but a horrified realization struck him.
The very source of the formation's core within him had erupted into chaos.
It felt as if, in the next moment, he would be torn apart by this internal, self-destructive rampage.
After a moment of initial panic and confusion, Sun Luyao finally understood.
He looked at Li Fan in disbelief. "Senior, why?"
Li Fan's gaze was completely different from before.
It was a look of true indifference.
In those eyes, it was as if Sun Luyao didn't even exist.
Inside the Immeasurable Mirror, the body he had just painstakingly reassembled began to crumble, inch by inch.
As the spirit of the Immeasurable Mirror, Sun Luyao was utterly helpless.
Realizing he was about to perish, tasting the flavor of death once more after so many years, he completely lost his composure.
He tried everything he could think of to save his own life.
"Senior, spare me! I am your most loyal slave! I'll do whatever you ask of me!"
"Senior, I was wrong! I shouldn't have harbored any dissent! I deserve to die a thousand deaths!"
"Senior, please spare me! I'm still useful! The ruins of the Xuanhuang world-protecting array haven't been fully explored! I still have value!"
Sun Luyao's transmitted thoughts grew faster and faster, dissolving into wails and sobs of anguish.
"Senior, just let me live a little longer! Let me..."
*Pop.*
Like a cockroach being squashed underfoot, Sun Luyao’s existence came to an abrupt end.
The ancient mirror, once gleaming with spiritual light, suddenly went dim.
It fell from the air, lifeless.
"So noisy, even at death's door. In that case, you might as well never appear again..."
Li Fan's eyes were pitch-black. They shifted slightly as he muttered, his voice tinged with madness.
A single sentence sealed Sun Luyao's fate.
Not just for this lifetime.
But for all lifetimes to come.
As long as Li Fan existed, Sun Luyao would never again appear in the main storyline.
Without Sun Luyao, there would be Sun Lufei or Sun Luchang.
It was just a change in designation. To Li Fan, it made no difference at all.
As Sun Luyao faded into oblivion for the last time, he likely never would have imagined it. One moment, everything was fine; he was helping the senior analyze the ruins of the primordial Xuanhuang array.
The next, his very existence was being permanently erased.
And the sole reason for it all was that he had witnessed Li Fan's ugly state during a moment of mental collapse.
Perhaps "mental collapse" wasn't the right term.
Ever since obtaining [Truth] and personally tasting the supreme power of restarting everything, almost nothing could truly harm Li Fan on a psychological level.
Not even the so-called True Immortals, named or nameless.
Yes, the power of a True Immortal could indeed threaten his life.
But it did so only by influencing *him*, preventing the activation of [Truth].
It never affected [Truth] itself.
Li Fan had always believed that as long as the supreme authority of the one-button restart remained unshaken, his mental defenses were impregnable, truly inviolable.
Everything could be dismissed with a simple thought: "It's just a simulation."
But today, Li Fan had encountered something that could genuinely hurt him.
Because his uniqueness had been challenged.
Even though this uniqueness was something he hadn't truly possessed before, something granted to him by [Truth].
It was still something he could not bear to have challenged.
After struggling to hold on for a short while, his defenses finally broke.
But Li Fan was, after all, Grand Preceptor Li, a man tempered by countless lifetimes and a thousand tribulations.
He didn't remain broken for long, quickly recalibrating himself.
Yes, those True Immortals could do to mortals what Li Fan did to mortals.
But they were all dead.
Dead!
In the end, this world still had only one player left: him.
Realizing this, Li Fan slowly returned to normal.
As for the unlucky Sun Luyao...
And the only partially explored primordial Xuanhuang world-protecting array...
He'd just come back in the next lifetime.
To Li Fan, it was all utterly meaningless.
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